Initiatives and outcomes of quality management implementation across industries

This paper sets out to explore the quality initiatives of various industries and examine the links between quality management implementation and quality outcomes. We use the scenario in Hong Kong as a first step in addressing these research inquiries. Using Black and Porter's instrument (Decision Sci. 27 (1996) 1) and the various perceived performance measures representing quality management implementation and quality outcomes respectively, we conducted a mail survey to collect data from over 1000 companies with operational quality management systems and received 304 valid responses for data,analysis. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze the data and the results are consistent with our prediction that the differences in quality initiatives by industry types affect the levels of quality management implementation and quality outcomes in different industries. In particular, we found that significant contrast exists between public utilities/service industries and manufacturing/construction industries, with the former group having a higher level of quality management implementation and achieving better quality outcomes. The emphases that they placed on their quality management implementation also seem to differ. Implications of the results are discussed and suggestions for further research on quality management and implementation are offerred. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.